Baby JoggerCity Versa

The City Versa offers parents the luxury of strolling with their baby facing them or facing the world. This versatile easy to use stroller will fold flat with one hand no matter what direction the seat is facing.

When looking for a pram for our first baby, we couldn't find any reviews for the Versa about suitability for a newborn. I've written this review for people wondering how functional this pram is for a newborn when used with the bassinet and car capsule.

We purchased the Versa (approx $550) and the specific bassinet (approx $190) from a large chain baby store when the pram was on sale. We have used this pram daily for about 9 weeks.

The bassinet is sturdy. It is quite heavy, but easy enough for me to manoeuvre on and off the pram frame as needed. The mattress is a good thickness/firmness and fits sheets and mattress protexctors in that are 40x80cm, so ideal if you have a normal bassinet that takes sheets the same size (eg Tasman Eco). The lining of the bassinet is a soft fabric that is comfortable for baby, but does tend to attract fluff and does mark a little when wiped with a damp cloth. The coverage of the hood is great and the removable foot muff/cover is good for cold over wet weather. The exterior fabric is shower proof and easy to wipe down with a damp cloth. Visibility of the baby is good and ventilation is good so we felt comfortable allowing the baby to sleep in the pram bassinet under supervision. At 9 weeks of age, our baby is still happy and comfortable in the bassinet. A very large baby might be starting to grow out of it by 3-4 months.

The bassinet needs to be removed to fold the pram. This is not hard to do. The fold of the frame can be done one-handed. Both the frame and the bassinet are easy to lift into the car. I can easly fit the fame and the bassinet side by side in the boot of a Ford Focus sedan, leaving some room in there for shopping etc. That said, it's not a really light frame/bassinet so I'd suggest trying before you buy if you have serious back problems.

The frame is sturdy and well made. The wheels and frame are easy to wipe down with a cloth after a walk through mud etc.

We have been using a capsule that fits onto the pram base with Maxi Cosi adapters. The capsule is light and has a 5 star CREP safety rating. It doesn't say in the advertising material/instructions that this capsule can be used, but there are links on the Bubhub forum to other sites with instructions on how to adjust the capsule's adapter to facilitate the Maxi Cosi adapters (search for "baby jogger" and the name of the cpsule). This was easy to do and it adds flexibilbaby to use the capsule instead of the bassinet for short trips out of the car with a sleeping baby. This did require purchasing the car seat adapter kit (about accessories

Other points to note are that the brake is strong and easy to use. The wheels are adequate for use on hard urfaces and also some "off road". We use the pram in long grass and need to keep an eye on the back axel which is quite close to the ground, but the pram is fine in this scenario. The wheels are showing some wear after regular use on bitumen and gravel. Rubber tyres like those ousted on the GT model (not sold in Australia) would probably give a smoother ride, but add weight.

The steering is good with bassinet and small baby. It can easily be manoeuvred one-handed. The width is a good compromise between sturdiness of larger prams (eg BJ City Select) and manoeuvrability if smalker prams/strollers in tight spaces. I've used it in suburban shops and cafes, rarely having issues being able to move about.

The basket storage is large and easy to access. The basinet also has a small pocket suitable for holdinwins all packs of wipes, phone, keys etc.

The Baby Jogger accessories are good, but need to be purchased separately and are not cheap.

In summary, we have found this pram and bassinet/car seat to be very functional and versatile for regular use with a newborn. The pram/bassinet/car seat adapter combination isn't chep, but the quality and functionality has made it good value for our family. I would recommend this combination to people that have the pram/bassinet/capsule adapter combination within their budget and will be using it regularly on hard surfaces and light off road use (gravel, sand, grass).

"Baby Jogger Versa"

Reviewed by headoverfeet | 23 November 2012

I really love this pram, love it's versatility, love that you can fold it with the seat attached both parent and forward facing, love the 2 step one handed fold, love that the seat folds in half before you fold it (gives a compact fold), love the hood (has awesome coverage), the fabric wipes clean with wet wipes, and I love the giant basket! It's very easy to steer with one hand, manuvers very well through the shops and handles a bit of off road well too. The only changes I would make would be to make the handle telescopic for hubby but he manages just fine, I'm 5'7' and it's perfect for me just below the highest setting. It's a tiny bit heavier than expected but I leave the seat on when I fold it. Some people have suggested it would be better with air filled tyres but I agree this would make it quiet a bit more heavy. I would of liked to see it accessoriesed a bit better but this seems to be the standard with baby jogger prams, the seat has a back pocket that is handy.

It's perfect for what I wanted it for- the shops/coffee dates and school drop offs/pick ups, all in all if your just having one child in a pram I highly reccomend it!

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